Figure toy



Nov. 4 1924. 1,514,216

L. MARX FIGURE TOY Filed Jan. 5, 1924 Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

ir r

f E tw; ir

LOUIS MARX, OF NEW YUEK, N. Y,

isiltzi FEIT"L FIGURE TOY.

application mea January 5, i924. seriai no. 684,536.

A prime desideratum of my present in` vention comprehends the provision of a toy in which the means for operating a toy figure is constructed and designed so as to be capable of storing potential energy for a time interval and of being automatically releasable for suddenly imparting an energetic and unexpected movement to the toy figure. n

A further prime object of my present invention includes the provision of a toy of the nature referred to made of parts of an inexpensive structure and design associated or interrelated in a simple manner for producing a toy which is subject to an ease and economy of manufacturing andassembling operations, and which is durable, of low cost, and easily operable.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other `objects as may hereinafter appear, our invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter particularly described and sought to be defined in the claims; reference being had to theV accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which Fig. 1- is a perspective view of the'toy of my invention, f

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view thereof showing the parts in a potentially energized position,

Fig. 3 is a view taken in cross-section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the position of the parts when the same are being energized, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing the parts in released position.

In its broader aspects my invention coinprises mechanism which is adapted to be potentially energized and which is constructed to store or retain they energization for a time interval so that the same maybe automatically released after a time for forcibly propelling or actuating a movable member such as a toy ligure.y In its more specific aspects, my7 invention consists in the proviof a kennel or stall or the like defininga compartment in which a toy figureof a dog, horse or the like is positionable for forcible and ysudden expulsion from the housing when the .operating mechanism is automatically releasable.v y

Referring now more'in detail to the `drawings, in whichl I show a preferred embodiment of -my invention, the invention comprises a housing generally designated as 10 defining a compartment in which a toy ure 11 maybe placed in positionl to be operated upon by a mechanism generally designated as 12 for expelling or ejecting the figure from the housing. i'

The housing-10, as heretofore noted,

take theform of a kennel having the floor or bottom 13, the front wall 14, the movable rear wall 15, side walls 16 and 17, andy the sloping roof 18, these parts for economy and convenience of manufacture being preferably made of wood suitably connected and joined together. The front wall14 4is suitsionof a housing which may take the form ably cut away to provide the open doorway d or opening 19, through which opening the figure 11 is adapted to be expelled; and attached to the front wall 14 and bottom lS I preferably provide the side guides 20,20

for guiding the toy figure 11 into the desired position as shown in thedrawings.

In the present form ofmy invention, the

operating' mechanism 12 comprises ay spring actuated ejecting means 21. and a restraining means22, these parts being associated soV that when the ejectingmeans 21 is `moved to an energized position, as shown in Figs. 2 to 4 ofthe drawings, the restraining means 22 will hold or restrain ythe eiecting inea'ns21 in a potentially energized condition for aninterval of time, afteriwhich the ejecting means is automatically released for movement from the position shown inFig. 2 to that. shown in Fig. 5' for forcibly and rsuddenly propelling the toy Figure 11 through the front wall opening 19.

IThe restraining means 22 in the present formof my invention comprises a pneumatic member in the'forin of a hemi'spherical shell 23 having a resilient or rubber wall secured to a supportingpost 24 by means of a securing element 25, the said post 24 being removably carriedI for replacement by the rear housing wall 15. The spring ejecting member 21 may suitably comprise a` leaf spring provided with a bowed portion 25, an end of which is removably attached to the rear-wall 15 by means of the securing device 26, the ejecting member further including a disk portion 27 arranged to overlie the front opening of the pneumatic shell 23 so as to be' movable in sealing engagement with the marginal edge 28 ofthe shell 23. 1f desired, the spring' ejecting member 25 may be held against rotation or lateral movement by means vof a pin 29 mounted in the rear wall 15 and receivable by a suitable opening in thekleaf spring 21.

Tofpermit access to the mechanism l2 for repair or replacement ofthe parts thereof, the entire mechanism is, as will be evident, mounted on the rear wall 15 which is movably attached to the side wall 17 by means ofthe hinges 30 and which is adapted to be secured in position by means of the latch member 31.

The manner of making and using the toy of my invention" will in the main be apparent fromthe above detailed description thereof. The parts of the actuating mechanism 12 normally assume the position shown in Fig. 5A of the drawings. For setting the mechanism intor operation vthe* toy figure 11 is moved into the housing 10 guided by the side guides 20, and is forced against the spring' ejecting member'21 until the operating parts assume the positionshown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, with the resilient pneumatic shell 23 in collapsed condition. By moving the parts into the position shown in Fig. 4, the volumetric capacity of the shell 23 is decreased and when the force or. pressure exerted on the figure 11 and spring 21 is released, the ejecting member 2l and the pneumatic restraining means move to the position shown in Figs. 2and 3 of the drawing' due to the tendency of both the spring ejecting means and the pneumatic restraining means to assume or resume their normal positions. It will be evident, however, that during the movement of the parts from the lgosition shown in Fig.- 4 to that shown in ig. 2, kthe air in the pneumatic restraining means 22 is rarelied so that a suction effect is produced on the sealing disk 27 .in opposition to the spring action thereof, with the result that the parts are maintained in the potentially energized position shown in Figs. 2'and 3 until the gradual seepage or leakage of air which takes place at the marginal edge 28 reduces the suction effect to a point where `the restraining means is unable to hold the eject-ing means in potentially energized position, at which time the latter is automatically and suddenly released for movement from the position shown in Fie.

2 to that shown in F ig. 5 for eifecting the sudden and unexpected ejection of the toy from the housing.

iVhile 1 haveshown my device in the preferred form, it will be obvious that many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spiritof the invention defined in the following claimsu v 1 claim: n

1. A toy comprising a housing having a front wall opening, the said housing delining a compartment in which a toy figure is pcsitonable vfor expulsion through said opening, ejecting means within the housing for expelling the toy figure, and pneumatic means operative for restraining action of said eject-ing means and for releasing the same to permit figure expelling action thereof.

2. A toy comprising a housing having a` is positionable for expulsion through said opening, a spring actuated ejecting means within the housing for expelling the toy figure, and pneumatic means operative for restraining action of ksaid ejecting means and for automatically releasing the same after a time interval to permit the ligure eX'- pelling action thereof.

3. A toy comprising a housing having a front wall opening, the said housing defining a compartment in which a toy figure is positionable for expulsionv throughv said opening, ejecting means within the housing for expelling the toy figure, and pneumatic means operative for restraining action of said ejecting means and for releasing the same to permit figure expelling .action thereof, the said pneumatic means consisting of a collapsible shell attached to the rear wall of said housing and having a resilient wall and the said ejecting means consisting of a bowed leaf spring vhaving a 'sealing disk portion arranged to overlie an opening in said resilient wall, the construction' being such that when the spring is forced against the shell the latter is collapsed to produce a suction action on the sealing disk in opposition to the spring action for effecting the said restraining operation.

4. A toy comprising a housing having a front wall opening', the said housing delining a compartment in which a toy ligure is positionable for expulsion through said opening, ejecting means within the housing for expelling the toy' ligure, and pneumatic means operative for restraining action of said ejecting means and for releasing the same to permit figure expelling action thereof, the said pneumatic means consisting .of a collapsible shell having a resilient wall and the said ejecting' means consisting of a bowed leaf spring having a sealing disk' portion arranged to overlie an opening in sea-ling disk portion and a heini-spherical said resilient wall, the construction beinw-t resilient shell member having an opening such that when the spring is forced againszit` glflspring, the construction being such ythat -when the spring is forced against the shell the shell the latter is collapsed to produce a suction action on the sealing disk in oppo' sition to the spring action 'for eecting the said restraining operation.

5. A toy comprising a housing including 'front and rear walls, the said front wall be-V ing provided with an opening7 the housing defining a compartment in which a tof,1 figure is positionable for expulsion through said opening, and means carried by the said rear wall for operating the toy figure, the said means including an ejecting member consisting of a bowed leaf spring having a uzarranged to underlie the disk portion of the the latter is collapsed to produce a suction action in opposition to the spring action for restraining operation of the latter for a time interval, after which the spring is energeticallT released to4 eject the toy ligure from the said housing.

Signed at New Yorlr city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 29th day of December, A. D. 1923.v

LOUIS MARX. 

